Bone Strengthening BFFs...Calcium & Vitamin D

So most of us on here are women, right? (Men- keep reading...this still applies to you!) Do you know that at least half of us will have a bone fracture by the time we are 50 years old? Did you also know that there is something you can do today to prevent it? It is called Calcium my friends.

Osteoporosis is serious disease that affects many men and women...mostly women though. And although it is generally thought of as a disease of the elderly, it can strike at any age...especially if you have some of the risk factors such as:

Being female

Family history of osteoporosis or broken bones

Being small framed

Being overly thin

Low calcium and vitamin D intake

Excessive intake of protein, sodium, or caffeine

Inactive lifestyle

Smoking

Alcohol abuse

Now most of our bone mass has already been formed- about 85% of it by the time girls are 18. However there are still things you can do to protect yourself!

The easiest thing is to eat a diet rich in both calcium and vitamin D. Now calcium is what will really help your bones, however it can not be absorbed if the body does not have an adequate supply of vitamin D...so all that milk you chugged would be for nothing! (Unless it was fortified with Vitamin D...some are, so check your labels!) So think of calcium and vitamin D as BFFs that must go together. Here is some more on calcium and vitamin D...

Calcium

Calcium is most famous for giving our bones their strength, but did you know that they also keep our teeth healthy, prevent hemorrhages in our bloodstreams, and plays a crucial role in transferring light to chemical impulses in the retina?

Sources include:

milk

cottage cheese

cheddar, swiss, or american cheese

yogurt

orange juice

fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel

sesame seeds

soy

collard greens, cooked kale, broccoli

corn tortillas

cooked beans such as great northern, navy, or pinto

almonds & peanuts

dried fruit

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is most famous for helping us to absorb calcium but did you know that it also helps joint pain, relieves back pain, and can also prevent certain types of cancer? And did you know that your body naturally makes Vitamin D? Your body has to be exposed to sunlight though! Just about an hour a week is all it takes!

Sources include:

fish such as herring, catfish, oysters, salmon, trout, halibut, sardines, tuna, or mackerel

milk/soy milk

some cereals (check the label!)

eggs

mushrooms

sunlight

Now another easy thing to do to try and prevent osteoporosis is to do weight-bearing exercises such as running, jogging, dancing, walking, stair-climbing, hiking, and racquet sports. So pick one of those to try this week at least once!

Remember that osteoporosis is a silent disease- none of us can really feel our bones getting weaker! So make sure that no matter how old you are, today you commit to doing all you can to increase and maintain your bone density!